CHAPTER 1

Kristine's P.O.V

I clenched the money tightly in my hands. I stood in front of the poke' shop, deciding which Pokemon to get. There were small bird Pokemon and Rattatas and Skitties. There were Growlithe and Houndour pups, and all sorts of Pokemon.

The window of the store reflected my image. An average sized girl with reddish brown hair down to my shoulders and honey brown eyes. I was wearing my favorite pink t-shirt and my new jeans, which were now looking a bit shabby after working in them all day.

I stepped inside and walked among the cages and play pens, and stopped at the one which held the Growlithe and Houndour pups. All of them were playing together and chasing each other, but there was one Houndour who simply sat in the corner and watched.

He was slightly bigger that the rest and looked more serious than the others. I bent over and picked him up. He did not resist, but simply allowed me to hold and pet him. Eevee, who had been sitting quietly beside me whimpered.

"You want to say hello?" I asked, setting down the Houndour. They sniffed each other for a second, and then Eevee playfully rolled over and batted his chin.

"I see you've taken a liking to him." said a scruffy old voice. I turned around and saw an old man with a large gray beard.

"Yes sir," I replied politely. "I would like to buy him." The old man nodded and walked toward the counter. The Houndour got up and followed me, ignoring Eevee, who was walking along side him.

"You've made a good choice," said the old man. "He's a fine young male."

"Thank you sir," I replied, placing the money onto the counter top. He took it, punched in some numbers on the cash register, and handed back eleven dollars.

"Here's your change." he said. I walked out the door, holding Houndour and Eevee perched atop my head.

"Take good care of him!" The man called right before the door closed behind me.

………………

"Mom," I shouted as I ran through the door. "I'm home!" I couldn't wait to show her Houndour. I ran through the house looking for her. I stopped in my room and set down my Pokemon.

"You guys wait here." I said. "I need to find mom." I ran out the room, and searched through the house. I ran outside and into the backyard, where I found her. She was crouching on the ground, tear stains marked her cheeks and her eyes were puffy.

"Mom," I said softly as I crouched beside her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.

"Honey," she whimpered as she hugged me. "Oh, Kristine darling,"

Ryana's P.O.V

As I entered the stables the smell of hay and leather polish overwhelmed me. I inhaled deeply and thought about how much time I spent here. A home away from home. Almost all the pens were full, of either ponyta, or rapidash.

Our whole mansion was full of pokemon, but that's what you would expect, if you're dad was a famous trainer.

I ambled over to one of the last pens, the one that looked shabbier than the rest of the perfectly polished ones. As I drew nearer, its occupant, a majestic but aged rapidash stuck her head out to greet me.

"Hey, girl" I said fondly, as I patted her forehead.

She whinnied and tossed her head. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, pulling an apple out of my pocket as I did so.

"I brought you a treat," I said holding it out to her.

She accepted the apple gratefully, and started munching happily on it. I brushed of any dirt that might have gotten on my all black rockin' ensemble and sat down on a bale of hay in the corner of her stall.

She was my favorite rapidash, a retired champion, and I often came down here to see her. Too often my mother would say. She's always griping about how I should spend more time with the family, when she doesn't even try too. And dad's gone half the time training, and winning championships and what not.

"Why did they bother even having kids if they weren't even going to stick around for them?" I asked aloud to rapidash. She whinnied softly, and nudged my arm, begging for another apple. "Sorry girl, I said, "I haven't got any more."

I stroked her neck and thought about how I was wasting my time here. "I don't belong here rapidash, I said thoughtfully. "Like my nana used to say when I was little, if you believe in yourself you can do anything."

I stood up determinedly, and said, "Even get out of here." I started pacing excitingly, and continued, "it's so boring here rapidash!" "And who are my parents to decide how I should live?" "They hardly even notice me!" "And I doubt they'd notice if I left either", I added. "There's a whole world out there that I've never seen."

I stopped pacing and put my arms around rapidash's neck hugging her too me. I stroked her neck and smiling, whispered in her ear, "and I think it's about time I saw it."